1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for performing a processing operation on a selected substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Substrate or master processing apparatuses, such as laminating apparatuses and adhesive transfer apparatuses, are well-known in the art. These apparatuses typically include a frame to which a pair of feed rolls are mounted (either individually or in a cartridge). A substrate processing assembly is provided in the frame and the stock materials on the feed roll are unwound and fed into the processing assembly. A power or hand-operated actuator actuates the processing assembly. A substrate or master (such as a photograph, printout, business card or any other selected substrate or document) to be processed is fed into the processing assembly and the processing assembly causes adhesive from one or both of the stock materials to bond to the substrate. In laminating operations, both stock materials are laminating films coated with pressure-sensitive or heat-sensitive adhesive and these films are both adhered to the opposing sides of the substrate. In adhesive transfer operations, one of the stock materials is a release liner on which a layer of adhesive is coated and the other is an aggressive or non-aggressive mask. During the operation, the adhesive on the release liner is transferred to one side of the substrate and, if the mask substrate is aggressive, i.e. has an affinity for adhesive bonding, then any excess adhesive will transfer to the mask substrate, which is then peeled off to expose the substrate on the release liner and remove the excess adhesive. For further details on these operations, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,580,417 and 5,584,962, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
In some substrate processing apparatuses, a pair of nip rollers is used to apply the pressure required to perform a substrate processing operation. More specifically, such apparatuses are designed to apply pressure with their nip rollers to adhere pressure-sensitive adhesive from one or both of the stock materials to the selected substrate being processed. The use of nip rollers in these types of apparatuses is well-known for applying the requisite pressure to bond the pressure-sensitive adhesive of one or both of the stock materials to the substrate being processed. However, the nip rollers represent a significant amount of both the cost and weight of the device. Further, the nip rollers add to the overall size and manufacturing complexity of the device. The nip rollers must be pressed together with the correct amount of force and also must be properly aligned to ensure a smooth, efficient processing operation.
While such types of apparatuses are quite suitable for their intended purposes, the costs associated with their manufacture can make their purchase undesirable for casual users who do not frequently use these devices to perform processing operations. To meet the needs of the casual user, it would be desirable to reduce some of the component and manufacturing costs associated with these conventional apparatuses.